Elevator for an end of a bed



March 21, 1967 w. A. BURKE ELEVATORYFOR AN END OF A BED 3 Sheet -Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 13, 1965 a 3 vmm U n m mm on 2.

In N0 INVENTOR.

WILBUR A. BURKE OR-NEY 3 Sheets-Sheet z m 5 M m M5501 INVENTOR.

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March 21, 1967 w. A. BURKE 3,310,289

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ATTORNEY FIGURE l2 24 United States Patent 3,310,289 ELEVATQR FOR AN END OF A BED Wilbur A. Burke, 4901 Reeds Road, Mission, Kans. 66222 Filed Dec. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 513,918 6 Claims. (Cl. 254-126) This invention relates to an improvement for an elevator unit for principally raising and lowering an end of an ordinary conventional bed for positioning a patient to improve the blood circulation through the veins of the body of the patient.

My invention broadly is for an elevator unit designed especially for lifting unbalanced weights on a bed near either end portion of an elongated liftable surface of an elevator, or the weight may be unevenly distributed over the elongated liftable surface of the elevator, the liftable surface of the elevator unit remaining in spaced parallelism with the base of the elevator unit.

My elevator unit is constructed with a pair of blocks having opposite trunnions projected from one pair of respective opposite side thereof; pairs of elongated bars having similar lengths with the mid-portions thereof pivoted on a respective trunnion; a pair of elongated plates with opposed faces thereof spaced in parallelism; lugs being projected from each corner portion of each opposed face of the pair of elongated plates, one end portion of each elongated bar being pivoted to a respective lug; the opposite end portions of the elongated bars being movable along the respective opposed faces of the pair of elongated plates; and means to move said blocks toward and away from each other to vary the spacing of said opposed parallel faces of the pair of elongated plates by varying the angle of inclination between each pair of said elongated bars.

A further object of my elevator unit is to provide rollers pivoted on the mentioned opposite end portions of the elongated bars set forth in the above paragraph to roll along the respective opposited faces and reduce the friction of travel thereon.

A further object of the elevator unit is to provide longitudinal channel like track portions on the opposed faces of the elongated plates, and be laterally spaced to provide separate longitudinal travel for each roller and end portion of the elongated bars mentioned in the above paragraphs, for free passage of the respective rollers and elongated bars travelling in opposite direction in the tracks or channels thereto.

An advantage of the present invention is to raise either the foot board or the head board of an ordinary conventional bed with a single elevator unit, to a selected elevation for a patient while lying in the mentioned bed, and kept the foot board or head board of the bed in parallelism with the elongated plates and supporting surface especially when a person visiting the patent sits on the edge of the bed.

An additional provision of my invention is to secure the upper edge of a stirrup plate to one side of the upper elongated plate of the elevator unit, and project downward, and out-ward flush with the supporting surface of the elevator unit, when the elevator unit is lowered to the lowest position thereof. The advantage of the stirrup plate is to raise a bed headboard or footboard that rests on the level of the supporting surface of the elevator unit. In the use of the stirrup plate the bed board is slightly raised manually for the insertion of the outward projected portion of the stirrup plate thereunder.

The means for moving the blocks of the elevator unit toward and away from each other is a threaded rod, with right and left threads threaded through the blocks; and a manually operated crank; or an electric motor-gear re- 3,3lli,289 Patented Mar. 21, 1967 "ice duction coupled to one end of the threaded rod. The means may be remotely controlled by a patient when lying in a bed.

This invention will be more fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and the claims appended.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view, illustrating a longitudinal elevation of my elevator in the raised position. An electric motor with a gear reduction drive and a reversible remote control is shown as a means for lowering and raising the elevator. A stirrup lift member is shown on the far side of the elevator.

FIGURE 2 is a view illustrating a plan of FIGURE 1 without the electric controls to the electric motor being shown.

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating a longitudinal elevation of the elevator in the lowered position.

FIGURE 4 is a view illustrating a patient lying in a bed with a remote control to the motor of an elevator. The foot board of the bed and a portion of the bed and patient is elevated to incline the bed and patient with the legs and feet of the patient upward relative to the head of the patient. An extension cord is shown connected to a floor socket for a source of electric motive force. A floor is illustrated in section to support the bed and elevator.

FIGURE 5 is a view, illustrating the longitudinal elevation of a foot board of a bed in a raised position with the elevator resting on a sectional portion of a floor.

FIGURE 6 is a view, illustrating a perspective of one of the blocks with trunnions thereon and a threaded hole through the block for traversing on a threaded rod.

FIGURE 7 is a view, illustrating the end portions of the threaded rod with right and left threads respectively. One end of the threaded rod is illustrated with a coupling connected to the shaft of the motor-gear reduction unit with parts being broken away for illustration. T-he opposite end portion of the threaded rod 'is provided with a bearing in a transverse portion of a guide bar unit. The guide bar unit is of stirrup shape extended from the mentioned bearing end portion to the motor-reduction unit support plate. Parts are shown in section for illustration.

FIGURE 8 is a view illustrating an end portion of the elevator taken on broken lines 8-8 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 9 is a view, illustrating a mid-portion of the elevator with the rollers and end portions of the elevator bars positioned in transverse alignment in the respective portions of the channel like members for guidance when passing in opposite directions.

FIGURE 10 is a view, illustrating end portions of the elevator taken on broken lines 1010 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 11 is a view, illustrating a section taken on lines 1111 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 12 is a view, illustrating a section of the elevator unit taken on broken lines 12-12 of FIGURE 3. A portion of a foot board of a bed is shown in section when supported on the stirrup.

FIGURE 13 is a view, illustrating a diagram of the electrical circuits of the motor-gear reduction unit and control switches.

FIGURE 14 is a view illustrating the end Portion of the threaded rod of the elevator unit. A 1 bolt is secured thereto, and a crank for manually rotating the threaded rod is shown connected thereto as a means of rotation.

FIGURE 15 is a view illustrated at right angles to the view shown in FIGURE 14.

FIGURE 16 is a view illustrating a transverse plate pivoted to a portion of the elongated bottom plate adapted to rest on a floor for support when desired.

My elevator unit 20 is shown in the comprehensive form in FIGURES 4 and 5 with transverse plates 21, which may be placed on a floor 22 or loosely pivoted at 23 to the bottom elongated plate 24, of the elevator unit when desired. The transverse plates 21 are used for extra stability and finely finished floors or expensive rugs not illustrated.

The essential parts of the elevator unit 26 are: a pair of elongated plates 24, with opposed faces 25 thereof spaced in parallelism; lugs 26 being projected from each corner portion of each opposed face 25; a pair of blocks 27, each having a pair of trunnions 28 projected from opposite faces 29; a plurality of elongated bars 36 and 31 having similar lengths; a pair of elongated bars 30 and 31 being pivoted on each respective trunnion 28; one end portion 32 of each elongated bar 36, and one end portion 33 of each elongated bar 31, are pivoted to a respective lug 26 by means of respective bolts 34; the opposite end portions 35 and 36 of the elongated bars '30 and 31 respectively are rnovable along the respective opposed faces 25; a rod 37 with right hand and left hand threads 38 and 39 located on opposite end ortions thereof is respectively threaded through said blocks 27. The blocks 27 are correspondingly threaded to be moved on rod 37 toward and away from each other in a simplified form by means of a crank 40 for manually turning the rod 37 to vary the angle of inclination between each pair of the elongated bars 36 and 31 to vary the spacing of the elongated plates 24.

The efficiency and performance of the elevator unit 20 is increased by the use of rollers 41 being pivoted at 97 on the end portions 35 of the elongated bars 30, and rollers 42 being pivoted at 98 on the respective end portions 36 of the elongated bars 31. The rollers 41 and 42 travel longitudinally on respective opposed faces 25 to reduce the friction and increase the stability of the elevator unit relative to the variable parallel spacing of the elongated plates 24. The rollers and bars mentioned prevent one end of the unit 20 from becoming lower or higher than the opposite end of the unit 20 when placed on a floor and used to elevate preferably a bed board 43.

The stirrup plate 93 illustrated in FIGURE 12 has an L shape section 94 with the upper edge of the stem shape section 94 being secured to the upper elongated plate 24 referably the full length thereof. The stem shape section 94 is projected downward with a heel 95 projected outward therefrom. The heel 95 rests on the supporting surface of the elevator unit 20 when the elevator unit is lowered to the lowest position and resting on the same mentioned supporting surface. The heel 95 is projected sufiiciently to support the lower edge of a bed board that normally rests on the mentioned supporting surface. The bed board 43 is manually raised sutficiently to insert the heel 95 under the bottom of a bed board 99 illustrated in FIGURE 12. The bed board can then be raised and lowered by the elevator unit 20.

Separators 96 may be used to space each pair of the elongated bars 30 and each pair of the elongated bars 31 on the bolt or pin '34. I An electric motor-gear reduction unit 44 may be substituted for the manually operated crank 46 when desired as a means for turning the rod 37. A remote control switch may be operated by a patient when lying in a bed 46. The switch 45 is operatively connected by cable 47 to the electric motor-gear reduction unit 44 which receives the electric motive force source from an extension cable 48. The electric motor-gear reduction unit 44 is mounted on a support 49 and the shaft 50 thereof is coupled to rod 37 with coupling 51, and key 52.

Longitudinal channel like portion 53, 54 and 55 are projected from the opposed faces 25 of the elongated plates 24 with separator ribs 56, 57, 58 and 59 to guide the rollers 41 and 42 when travelling longitudinally in the major lengths of the respective channel like portions 53, 54 and 55.

A bar stirrup 66 has the ends 61 thereof secured to the support 49 of the electric motor-gear reduction unit 44; and extends normally horizontal on each side of the unit 20 and blocks 27 toward the opposite end of the unit; where the transverse section 62 of the bar stirrup 66 contains a bearing 63 therein to receive the reduced end portion 64 of the rod 37.

Each side bar 65 of the bar stirrup 60 is similar and has plural spaced elongated slots 66 therethrough to receive the respective trunnions 28.

The bar stirrup 60 is supported on the trunnions 28 and supports the electric motor-gear reduction unit 44.

The elongated slots 66 preferably limit the travel of the blocks 27 and trunnions 23; and therefore the angle of inclination between each pair of bars 30 and 31, resulting in the preferable limits of elevation of the elevator unit 20.

In FIGURE 13 of the drawings the view is in diagrammatic form and shows the electrical circuits for remote control of the elevator. The armature 67 of the electric motor 68 has the brushes 69 and 7t Brush 69 is connected to an electric motive force source by wire 71. Brush 70 is connected to one center pole 72 of a double throw double pole switch 73, and the opposite center pole 74 is connected to an electric motive force source by wire 75. The field coil 76 of the motor 68 has one end wire 77 connected to one side of a push button cut-out switch 78 and the opposite field coil end wire 79 is connected to one side of the push button cut-oft switch 80. The opposite side of push button cut-off switch 78 is connected to pole 81 by wire 82. The opposite side of push button cut-olf switch is connected to pole 83 by wire 84. A branch wire 85 from wire 77 is connected to pole 86. A branch wire 87 is connected from wire 79 to pole 88.

A manually operated crank 40 illustrated as a means of operation in FIGURES 14 and 15 is illustrated with a preferable eye 89 formed on one end thereof to loosely engage a preferable I 1ug 90 secured to one end of the rod 37 for manual rotation thereof.

The operation of the elevator unit with remote control by a patient follows: All wires referred to herein are electric motive force conductors. Referring to FIG- URES 4 and 13, a patient presses the control lever 45 to actuate the double pole double throw switch 73 to close the switch with the poles 86 and 83. The electric motive force making an electric circuit through wires 71, brush 69, rotor 67, brush 70, wire 91, center pole 72, switch 73 topole 83, wire 84 to push button cut-otf switch 80, field wire 79, coil 76, wire 85 to pole 86, switch 73 to center pole 74, and complete the electric motive force circuit through wire 75 for one direction of rotation of the rotor 67. Notice that the push button cut-oft switch 78 is by-passed with wire 85. The elevator will rise to the limit when push button cut-off switch 80 will be opened by one of the trunnions 28 projected through one of the elongated slots 66 to sto the rotat-ion of the rotor 67.

When the remote control lever 45 is pressed in the opposite direction the rotor is reversed as follows: The field coil 76 has the flow of electric motive force reversed relative to the flow of electric motive force through the rotor 67, through switch pole 81, Wire 82, push button.

balanced distribution on the supporting elongated surfaces.

(b) trunnions projecting from one pair of sides of wise on the respective opposed face of an elongated plate,

(k) said plurality of elongated bars having off-set spacmg on said pivots for the free end portions and rollers 6 of the elevator unit; the elevator unit comprising in thereof to freely pass other respective bars and combination: rollers,

(a) a pair of blocks, (1) a rod,

(m) said rod having right and left threads on opposite each respective block, 5 major end portions thereof,

(c) pairs of elongated bars of similar length, (11) said blocks threaded on respective major end por- (d) each pair of elongated bars having the mid-length tions of said rod,

portions thereof pivoted on a respective trunnion, n means connec ed with said rod for rotation (e) a pair of elongated plates ith opposed fa e to feed said blocks toward and away from each thereof spaced i ll li other to vary the angle of inclination between said (f) l g elongated bars to move said elongated plates in (g) each lug being projected from each corner portion Variable Spaced relation Of Parallelismof each opposed face of said pair of elongated plates, 4 An elevator u t as c aimed in claim 3:

(h) one end portion of each elongated bar being pivoted (P) Channel-like members,

to a respective lug, 15 (q) said channel-like members being formed on and (i) the opposite end portions of said elongated bars located parallel along Said pp faces of Said being movable longitudinally along the respective elongated P opposed fa e f i pair of elongated plates, (r) and said rollers spaced to travel in separate chan- (j) and means to move said blocks toward and away nel-like membersfrom each other to vary the parralell spacing of An elevator unit as claimed in Claim said opposed faces of said pair of elongated plates an elongated Stirrup Plate having an L Shape by varying the angle of inclination between each i of id elongated bars, (b) the stem edge of the L section of said stirrup 2, A l t i as l i d i claim 1; plate being secured to one longitudinal edge of one (k) channel-like members, of said elongated plates,

(1) said channel-like members spaced and formed (c) Said elongated Stirrup Plate bcillg cXtcndcd fr m longitudinally on id opposed fa f Said elem the mentioned edge of the elongated plate with the t d l t heel of the L shape support plate registering with a l li f ll the opposite elongated plate when the said elongated (n) each of said plurality of rollers being pivoted to a Plates are moved closest together,

respective mentioned opposite end portion respecand the Outward extended Portion of the ni l f h f id elongated bars tioned heel of said stirrup plate being projected out- (o) and said rollers located and spaced to travel sepa- Ward sufficiently from the elevator unit to be t l i id channeplike members ually inserted under an object to be lifted by means 3. An elevator unit for moving long-weights with unof the elevator balanced distribution in parallelism on the supporting An elevator umtas clalmed in claim elongated surfaces of the elevator unit; the jack unit an elongated Stump Plate having an L Shape comprising: U011,

( a pair f elongated plates with opposed faces (b) the stem edge of the L section of said stirrup plate th f spaced in parallelism, 40 being secured to one longitudinal edge of one elon- (b) a plurality of lugs, gated p (0) each lug being located on each corner portion of (C) Sald eIPHgatCd stirrup Plate being extended from the mentioned opposed faces of said elongated plates, the mentloned edge of elongated Plate With the (d) a plurality of elongated bars of uniform length, heel of L Shape Stlmlp Plate registering With h of i plurality of elongated bars being the opposite elongated plate when said elongated respectively pivoted at one end portion thereof to a plates are moved closest together respective lug on a respective corner of a respective (d) P the olltward extended Portion of the L Shape elongated plate, section of said support plate being projected outward (f) apair f blocks, sufliciently from the elevator unit to be manually (g) a pair of trunnions located on opposite sides of Inserted under object to be lifted by means of each block, the elevator unlt;

(h) said plurality of elongated bars bein extended toward the mentioned opposed faces and having the References i by the Exammer mid-length portions thereof pivoted on a respective v UNITED STATES PATENTS tI'UIIHIOII of a respective block, 2,621,021 12/1952 Dahlet a1 254 -422X (1) a plurality of rollers,

(j) each free end portion of said elongated bars having FOREIGN PATENTS a respective roller pivoted thereon to travel length- 424,764 1935 r at Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Examiner. 

1. AN ELEVATOR UNIT FOR MOVING WEIGHTS WITH UNBALANCED DISTRIBUTION ON THE SUPPORTING ELONGATED SURFACES OF THE ELEVATOR UNIT; THE ELEVATOR UNIT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A PAIR OF BLOCKS, (B) TRUNNIONS PROJECTING FROM ONE PAIR OF SIDES OF EACH RESPECTIVE BLOCK, (C) PAIRS OF ELONGATED BARS OF SIMILAR LENGTH, (D) EACH PAIR OF ELONGATED BARS HAVING THE MID-LENGTH PORTIONS THEREOF PIVOTED ON A RESPECTIVE TRUNNION, (E) A PAIR OF ELONGATED PLATES WITH OPPOSED FACES THEREOF SPACED IN PARALLELISM, (F) LUGS, (G) EACH LUG BEING PROJECTED FROM EACH CORNER PORTION OF EACH OPPOSED FACE OF SAID PAIR OF ELONGATED PLATES, (H) ONE END PORTION OF EACH ELONGATED BAR BEING PIVOTED TO A RESPECTIVE LUG, (I) THE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID ELONGATED BARS BEING MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSED FACES OF SAID PAIR OF ELONGATED PLATES, (J) AND MEANS TO MOVE SAID BLOCKS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER TO VARY THE PARALLEL SPACING OF SAID OPPOSED FACES OF SAID PAIR OF ELONGATED PLATES BY VARYING THE ANGLE OF INCLINATION BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF SAID ELONGATED BARS. 